TRUE CHEMISTRY DRIVES ‘MOANA’ CO-STARS
Auli'i Cravalho & The Rock ‘really lucked out’ on and offscreen.
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho acknowledge there are some big-time similarities between themselves and the characters they voice in Disney’s animated Moana (in theaters Wednesday).
Johnson’s playful, massively built demigod Maui does have an ego. That’s something Cravalho, who voices the determined title heroine, doesn’t mind bringing up in front of her playful, massively built co-star.
“Dwayne is larger than life, both in real life as well as in our film. He’s incredibly funny, with a slight ego,” Cravalho says. She quickly adds: “I should say that last part softer.” Too late. “Go ahead,” Johnson says, laughing. “Please tell USA TODAY how I have a slight ego.”
“He’s also a big softie,” Cravalho offers. “That’s a better thing to tell.”
“I’m not a softie,” Johnson says. “Don’t print that.”
Sorry about that, Rock. But the banter does illustrate the true connection between 6-foot-5 Johnson, 44, the busiest guy in Hollywood and People’s newly anointed Sexiest Man Alive, and 5foot-3 Cravalho, who turns 16 on Tuesday. The Hawaiian teen makes her screen debut as a Disney heroine willing to give a demigod a straight talk.
“The chemistry onscreen is real. This is where we really lucked out,” Johnson says. “Onscreen, it works. And offscreen, it’s like … family.”
The duo bring the sparks and Polynesian power (The Rock is half-Samoan) to the South Pacific adventure. Though they recorded their roles separately, their characters’ interactions are so natural, “it seems like we’re on the couch talking to each other,” Cravalho says.
When they are actually sitting on a couch talking to each other, reunited at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel, Johnson and Cravalho take a few minutes to catch up after months apart. Johnson insists that his co-star take time to “super-hydrate” to fight off a cold, pulling out a backpack he carries that’s filled with Voss bottled water. “It’s literally all drinks, drinks, water, water,” he says.
The water-themed tale brought the duo together, with Johnson a natural embodiment of the oftengoofy hero — with the exception of Maui’s long silky hair (“We can always dream,” Johnson says). Maui was molded around Johnson’s personality, right down to the showcase song You’re Welcome, written by Hamilton creator LinManuel Miranda, in which the demigod asks the world’s thanks for his glorious deeds.
“The key thing Lin told me was: ‘Own the song. I wrote it for you. There’s no one else on this planet who can sing You’re Welcome with a smile and make people feel good,’ ” Johnson says. “That’s going to be my life theme song.”
Cravalho, who grew up with the mythologies of Maui at school and in bedtime stories, says she relates to her character’s bold adventure.
“I have connected Moana’s journey with the one I have been on this past year. And this Maui is a wonderful role model,” says Cravalho, who goes in for one more Rock zinger: “Even if he’s a little difficult to work with at times.”
“Wait, difficult to work with? I’m so not difficult to work with,” Johnson retorts.
“But I will say this: Auli’i really, truly embodies Moana.”